This isn't your usual flea market: here, one man's, or woman's, unwanted mementos and emotional baggage from previous love affairs may just be another man's treasure.
This trading process occurs at the "Ex Market," held monthly at a café next to Hanoi's West Lake, reports VOV5. From clothes and shoes to more emotionally invested items like diaries and love letters, vendors can come to sell or give away any items that have lost value after a breakup.
"I really love the idea of a market where you can sell your ex-related items. You can sell them to someone who needs them, and with the money you can buy newer, better stuff - maybe a gift for your new lover,” Ha Yen, a first-timer at the market, shared with the news source.
For Thang Dinh, the market's organizer, it's more than just an exchange of goods or an effort to recycle. "If you don’t want to use those things from your ex but you don’t want to throw them away, you can give those things new life, and new meaning. I think sharing the stories about the items before you sell or exchange them has a positive psychological impact on the seller.”
On market day, participants can be found sitting in a circle, strumming guitars while engaging in conversation. In a way, Thang said, the "Ex Market" attempts to cultivate a sense of community between the vendors and sellers, which is why he hopes to expand the model in the future.
Many people indeed show up for a similar reason. Le Hong Ngoc, a prospective shopper who may not be down for selling her exes’ presents herself, told VOV5: “I came here to buy stuff, but I listen to the stories behind the stuff. It’s an opportunity for me to make new friends.”
Pham Thao Van, who has been to the market four times, concurred: “Every person here has a different story to tell. Happy or otherwise, they’re all very interesting.”
[Photo via VietnamNet]
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